Posted on 04/15/2006 12:05:52 PM PDT by Reaganwuzthebest
THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE HAS FLIPPED in President Bush's favor. The public now firmly supports toughened border enforcement plus--and this is a big plus for the president--a system for letting illegal immigrants already in America earn citizenship. This has been Bush's position all along, though the president has been reluctant to trumpet it. The ones with the politically untenable position are Democrats who want an immigration issue (but not actual legislation) to use against Republicans in November, and Republicans who want merely to increase border security.
The upshot is that an immigration bill appears likely (but not certain) to pass when Congress returns from its Easter recess on April 24--and probably in a "comprehensive" form congenial to Bush and Republican congressional leaders. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have indicated they back this approach, not a bill simply calling for stronger border security.
The turning point came in March when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an immigration measure that tied together border enforcement, a program for bringing "guest" workers into the country, and earned citizenship. That meant that broad immigration reform was viable in 2006. Several earlier polls, notably one conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas, had found potential public support for earned citizenship, and the committee's action bolstered that support.
Once the committee acted, "the polls, indeed the whole atmosphere, changed to the pro-immigrant side," says Jeffrey Bell, a Republican consultant working for La Raza, the Hispanic civil rights group. Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein of California reversed herself and voted for the sweeping bill, as did Republican Arlen Specter, the committee chairman who had been uncommitted.
In a national survey in early April, the Washington Post/ABC News uncovered an astonishing level of backing for major reform. Asked whether they favored earned citizenship, only a guest worker program, or a sharp crackdown on illegal immigrants, 63 percent preferred earned citizenship, 14 percent a guest worker scheme, and only 20 percent for charging illegal immigrants with a felony and denying them work.
Earned citizenship would permit the 12 million immigrants living illegally in the United States to apply for citizenship. They would be required to work for six years, commit no crimes, pay back taxes, and learn English. Then and only then could they get in line to become citizens, a process that takes five years.
In the debate over immigration, those (mostly Republicans) favoring only beefed-up border enforcement had the upper hand initially. But that position lost much of its appeal after last December when House Republicans approved a bill that would enhance border security and make illegal immigrants guilty of a felony. Today, even some Republicans who voted for that bill say it could be politically harmful to their party by alienating Hispanic voters. Frist and Hastert pledged last week to block any felony provision from becoming law.
In the Senate, Democrats couldn't bring themselves to act decisively. They seemed to want to impede legislation and use the House bill to tag Republicans as anti-Hispanic. But when they balked at passing a bill just before the recess, it angered Hispanic groups that have been lobbying for a broad immigration measure. This pressure alone may force Democrats to relent and allow legislation.
Funny that's not the way I see it Fred, most reputable polls coming out lately show just the opposite.
I think Fred only looked at the poll consisting of himself, Bush, Teddy and McCain.
Have another drink Fred...
And his beltway buddy Morton Kondracke. :)
President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.
More Americans are abducted on the border of Mexico than in Iraq!
President Bush said the Minutemen are vigilantes.
This is a despicable lie.
President Bush said that they were only doing jobs American will not do.
This is a despicable lie.
President Bush said family values do not stop at the border.
This is somewhat true but to make it completely true we will have to open houses of ill repute outside of every town and city.
This will make their "family values" not stop at the border.
ping
"THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE HAS FLIPPED in President Bush's favor."
LOL. Fred's funny.
But both of the establishments are lying. A worried world where a Republican can walk hand in hand with somone in La Raza, both paid by the cheaper labor lobbies. Will the money stop? What happens when the opposition can't be viably framed as racists and bigots? Even Bush gave that one a try.
Hmmm, If The tide has turned in the Senate it could get interesting in conference. I am expecting as much as Pelosi hates it she will not be able to keep many House members in Line. Enough defections to where Bush can lose some Republican support in the HOuse and still get his Bill through. This gets more interesting all the time
From where I sit, Fred is correct.
The question now is how will the border security actually be effected.
As I noted some time ago all incumbants can point to a preEaster position and vote and say truthfully "I voted the way I was asked to. The end result is beyond my control." All incumbents thus have a winning position.
Most Americans realize that the removal of the Mexicans is not only impossible but impractical.
Containment is the pragmatic solution.
Their whole scheme is focused primarily on the care and wellbeing of Mexican illegal aliens (or, in the case of Teddy Kenedy, about a million Irish illegal aliens).
None of these guys show the slightest sympathy for the plight of H1B folks kept in virtual servitude by unethical employers. Nor, is there the slightest indication on their part that we might well benefit by taking those 11 million new immigration slots they are proposing and parceling them out to doctors, chemists and graduate engineers throughout the Third-World.
In all reality there's nothing about the Mexicans that should recommend them to us as a "first choice", yet the RINOs, Limousine Liberals, and Countryclub Republicans into the primacy of lawncare among all national concerns, seem to want ONLY Mexicans~!
Yes, "W", Teddy Kennedy and Bloomburg are all racists.
Poor Fred. He is still in the early stages of grief from being sold out. Denial.
Once he gets to the anger part, he is likely to lash out with a diatribe in the Village Voice or on Err 'Merica. Acceptance and resolve may motivate him to become more involved locally. Or not.
We've already seen Bush's form of border enforcement.
Sorry, not biting.
The public now firmly supports...
Fred, what on Earth are you smoking? The amnesty guest worker proposals from the Senate were roundly defeated in large measure due to the pressure put on Senators by their voting constituents. That doesn't sound like firm support to me.
I think Senator Kyl and Rep. Hayworth need to take you out behind the woodshed for a little special high-intensity training session...
Well I've seen about three polls out the last few days that say those rallies backfired big-time and people want nothing more than the laws enforced first then maybe they'll consider a guest worker program. Barnes like Kondracke has been peddling amnesty for quite a while now and from what I see he's just grasping at straws hoping the politicians in DC will buy what he's selling.
What. Maybe you didnt see the same Senate Vote I did. What defeated that bill was Shennigans by Sen Reid. The Senate appears not to be the salvation of the "No Guest worker program" folks. Mccain thinks he has 70 votes over there if needed. I happen to think he might be close to that. If the Dems revolt in the House against their leadership this bill just might just pass
Sen Reid pulled some shenanigans, that I won't deny. But I truly believe that calls from constituents had an impact on that legislation.
The proof will be to see what happens when they reconvene.
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